Yorkie

Fantastic stuff. Really hope the air will clear because he has the potential to be a very, very good player for us.

Ah right i see what you mean... Was just confused as it's usually been northern rock (Hope that looks right)

Not yet but he's going to.

Move the pink square down and the align the R on rock under the N on northern and i think thats as close as you can get to a prediction. Eh? So it's like: NORTHERN ROCK

Presumably, NSG, if the numbers are white - it will be in a panel. Or on a plain black back.

Beyond even the slightest argument in all fairness. Don't think it's all Sibierski's fault though - even though i do feel he's a bit shit - it's the tactics we play. Sibierski did the job he was told to do, and i'm referring to the Alkmaar game here, reasonably well. But the formula simply didn't work. I use that same argument for Ameobi aswell. Why Roeder feels inclined to enforce long ball tactics whenever there is a big man in the team, is beyond me. Despite his lack of pace, i generally feel that Sibierski is fairly decent with the ball at his feet. He can certainly pick out a pass. Dyer's just generally effective upfront anyway, i reckon. Annoyed that Sibierski is getting a two-year extension. One-year, fair enough. With a bit of luck we'll only have to use him very, very sparingly - what with the returns of Owen and Shola and the inevitable introduction of another £8-10m forward. But two years is just nonsencial, and appears to show a long term 'plan'. With that sort of player? Who'll be 35 by the time he leaves in that case? What kind of ambition does that show? Liek Gemmill says, it's that cringeworthy sentimental value creeping back into our club issues, that doesn't help us one bit (apart from rare cases such as the return of Nobby). Bringing back Pav, Clarkie, Terry Mac, even Roeder. No. You don't see any other top Premiership team doing that do you? They do what's best for the team, not what's all nice and romantic.

I've been saying all along that i don't think we need to go blowing our budget, or a significant amount of it, on another striker. Something we're so typical at doing. Next season we will have: Obafemi Martins - who will no doubt be even better that this season, providing of course no case of second season syndrome. It all depends on whether he gels with Owen, which he should do. Michael Owen - who was a world class striker before his major injuries. Those who are worried about his performances when he comes back, just look at Shearer, who like Owen, was a model professional. He had major injuries and came back still a very good striker. I'm not concerned about Owen, although it will take a couple of months, methinks. Kieron Dyer - adapted to a dangerous yet not spectacular forward as far as i am concerned. Then Shola Ameobi and Antoine Sibierski. One of which is decent enough, the other to make up the numbers. To go spending £7/8/9/10m on another striker is just senseless in my opinion - there's just no need for it. There's no problem with our strikers. The midfield, with perhaps one quality addition (i'm thining Steve Sidwell), should be a lot better next season - with both N'Zogbia and Milner developing (providing they play ), and with a bit of luck, Emre will stay. Focus our budget on the defense. Get Viduka in on a free if we're getting another striker. Martins, Owen, Dyer, Viduka, Ameobi and Sibierski. Nothing wrong with that, imo.

What department is this guy in? Or is that classified? You say that the the Northern Rock logo is embroidered... definitely a good sign. Presumably it'll be one word on top of the other, as apposed to all on the same 'line', like you see on the advertising boards?

That away shirt was really, really shit in general. All of the Adidas stripes on the sleeves peeled off at some point. Cheap garbage. NSG... do you have any idea whether or not they're plastic again or embroidered on?

I'm really gutted that no one picked up on my insanely amazing figment of knowledge about the pre 1900 shirts. I was well chuffed with that.

I once cut my nipple on one of the away shirts, on the Newcastle badge. The one from a couple of years ago with the dark blue and black graduated stripes. Made my left nip really saw cos of the rough texture.

Utter bullshit. It was a nonsense line-up. To keep Dyer in midfield, and to keep Sibierski upfront, after the uber-ineffectiveness from the whole attacking line-up on Thursday night, was absolutely idiotic. Away from home aswell. And Emre on the left ahead of N'Zogbia? Jesus Christ.

If i like it, i'll buy it. I'm not bothering with this pointless stop-spending-your-money protest, because it won't work. We're too loyal, remember. SkySports News said so. But seriously, if i do like it - i will buy it. I enjoy wearing the shirts with me name on the back.

Yes - that IS the one people are referring to.

It's in this thread, a couple of pages back.

Aye, that's fair enough BD. Good post in fairness. Still. Which is the absolute truth.

Where'dya get that, Dave? It's not on the site yet...

As Newcastle West End, we wore thin red and blue hoops, circa 1881. We wore red and white stripes as Newcastle East End. I bet even NE5 didn't know that, even though he was right-back for West End.

I think the SBR/Solano relationship was a bit weird, tbh. Presumably SBR's plan was to move Dyer to the right with Ambrose as understudy: but that didn't exactly work out! Yeah, he explained it in his autobiography. He got rid of Solano because he said he had Dyer, Ambrose and Bowyer who all could play there. Was correct in theory, but the truth was, all three of them were, really, centre-midfielders.

Incidentally, in that January of 03/04, we sold Nobby off.

Too many people forget that we signed Woodgate for £9m in the January though. No we didn't. We signed him in the year we finished third, 02/03.

But to answer, the 04/05 season was just utter dogshit, and the loss to Sporting was the worst thing i'd ever experienced as a Newcastle fan. I wasn't really old enough to understand the title capitulations.

We had faltered in that season where we finished fifth because Bobby made no signings during the summer. He didn't build on it... or so you'd think. He was building a squad through experience. He only made one change to the squad, bringing in Bowyer, because we had three or four very promising younger players coming through. He was really on his way - the Ambroses, the Taylors, the Bellamys, etc. The team were going to win nothing that particular season because it wasn't ready to. It would have been though, more so, in the 04/05 season and beyond, where he stupidly got sacked. He was building the team into something that would have been really good, bringing in the likes of Milner, Kluivert and Zoggy that summer, but got sacked and Souness ruined it cos he was shit. I'd have loved to have seen that team and those players develop under Bobby.

And the collar was the most uncomfortable thing ever. Yeah - this especially. Manky kit that. The number was in a shield wasn't it. And the Newcastle Brown logo, Adidas badge and crest were all on top of the other. Looked shit. Not against a panel for the number, just hope it's not a plain back. Looks really, really bad that. I have a real interest for football kits, it's just a hobby of mine. My father owns a football merchandising business, which has a lot to do with it. Sponsors and standard designs have just ruined the essence of some kits, which have such an enormous history, and it's really sad to see them ruined by stuff like flat backs. Crap. Would hate to see us go that way. Ruins the 'history' and just looks shite anyway.

No it wouldn't, because i'd like to see Roeder stay anyway. Can't see anything special materialising from another managerial change - we're in an even far worse position that we were at the beginning of this season, when we were in Europe, and we couldn't get anyone good then. I've stated my reasons for why i'd like to see Roeder stay. Largely basing it on hope/faith, granted, i'd just like to see him have another crack at the transfer window (i believe that he won't make the same mistakes again), get his own squad and see out his contract. If we're going nowhere by then, just let him go. There's no time limit in football, i'm prepared to wait. He's done a decent job at steadying the ship. It took Bobby three years to get us where we should have been after all. And we won't have the distraction of Europe next year either, which will be a bonus.